A literature review takes time because it combines several different jobs: searching, screening, reading, comparing and writing. No single tool does all of them well. This guide breaks the process into steps, lists the kinds of tools that help at each step, and explains how to use AI without putting fake citations in your text.
Short answer: use a scholarly database to search, a reference manager to keep your sources, and an AI tool to speed up reading and drafting. Verify every citation yourself, and keep your own argument at the center.
The steps of a literature review
- Define the question and the scope: topic, years, fields and types of study.
- Search several databases with a written list of search terms.
- Screen titles and abstracts, then full texts, against inclusion rules.
- Read and extract the question, method, sample and findings from each paper.
- Synthesize: group the papers by theme, compare results and find the gap.
- Write the review and cite correctly.
Tool types, step by step
Scholarly databases and search engines
Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and discipline databases are where you search. Use more than one, and write down your search terms and dates so the search can be repeated.
Reference managers
Zotero, EndNote and Mendeley store your papers and format citations in Word or LaTeX. Whichever AI tool you use, keep your final reference list in a reference manager.
AI search and summary tools
Tools such as Elicit and Consensus search papers and answer a question with a summary and links, and some can extract details into a table. They are fast for exploring a new topic. Check what database they search and open the sources.
Citation maps
Tools that map papers by citations, for example Connected Papers and ResearchRabbit, help you find prior and follow-up work from a paper you already know. ProfAgent's Paper Map does this for a DOI or title.
General AI chat assistants
ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini help you outline, explain a method or improve your wording. Do not ask them to supply citations from memory, because they can produce references that do not exist. Paste in the text or abstract you want help with, and check what comes back.
ProfAgent Research & Write
ProfAgent searches over 200 million papers through a public scholarly database (OpenAlex), builds a snapshot of a topic, and drafts a literature review section with links to the papers it used, with export to Word or PDF. You review the draft and the citations. It is a good fit when you want search, reading help and drafting in one place. If your review must follow a formal protocol, use it for exploration and drafting, and keep the formal search and screening under your control.
A practical workflow
- Explore with an AI search tool to learn the vocabulary of the topic.
- Run your formal searches in two or three databases, with saved search terms.
- Import results into your reference manager and remove duplicates.
- Screen, then ask an AI tool for a table of method, sample and finding for each included paper. Check a sample against the papers.
- Group papers by theme yourself, then ask AI for a first draft of one section at a time.
- Rewrite in your own voice, check every citation, and run a plagiarism check.
Mistakes to avoid
- Citing a paper you only know from an AI summary.
- Using a single database and presenting the result as complete.
- Letting the tool decide the structure of your argument.
- Forgetting the rules: many journals and universities have a policy on AI use, and a systematic review has its own reporting standard, such as PRISMA.
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Start FreeFrequently asked questions
What is the best tool for writing a literature review?
No single tool does every step. Use a scholarly database to search, a reference manager to organize sources, and an AI tool to help with reading and first drafts. Choose the AI tool by testing it on a topic you already know.
Can AI write a literature review?
AI can find papers, summarize them and draft sections, but you must verify each citation, check each claim against the paper and write the argument yourself. Do not submit AI text as your own analysis.
How do I avoid fake references?
Use tools that search real databases and link every source, open each paper you cite, and keep your final reference list in a reference manager.
Can I use these tools for a systematic review?
They can help with exploration and extraction, but a systematic review needs a documented, repeatable search and screening protocol that you control and report, for example following PRISMA.
Is ProfAgent free for literature reviews?
ProfAgent has a free plan with monthly limits. The literature tools have a larger allowance on paid plans, and the pricing section of the site lists the current limits.